Part of me wants to point out that hot starts are nothing out of the ordinary for him. He averaged 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings in his first six starts last year, which isn't far off from his 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings so far. But because he just seems to be more dominant this year, I decided to look at the PitchFX data.

It's a small sample, obviously, but Sanchez is throwing slightly harder than in past seasons and is emphasizing his changeup over his slider for the first time. It's been the more effective pitch throughout his career, so it could have something to do with his early-season dominance.

I still think he'll regress some, but I now rank him in the Shelby Miller-Lance Lynn class of starting pitchers at No. 33.

"It’s been terrible," Price said, suggesting one cause may be the new chemical ejection system used in the clubhouse washing machines. 

Price has won just once this season over eight starts with an elevated 4.78 ERA. When asked if the allergies he's having could be the reason behind his poor start, Price said: "I would never say yes." 

The Rays will take the cautious approach and deal with the issue, according to equipment manager Chris Westmoreland.

"We want to isolate his clothes just in case it has something to do with the new ejection system," Westmoreland said. Manager Joe Maddon, an allergy sufferer, also had a take on the situation. 

"David doesn’t make excuses,” Maddon said. "I would like to say that everyone around here doesn’t make excuses, but I’m just saying there is contributing factors. … I’m telling you it’s a bad day. The bounce is not the same bounce, because it’s hard to get all that clear. It’s intense."

Gausman, considered the organization's second-best prospect by MLB.com behind only Dylan Bundy, has made just seven starts above the Class A level, posting a 3.35 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. Duquette said the right-hander, currently at Double-A Bowie, would not necessarily need to advance to Triple-A before making his major-league debut.